There will be a 50 per cent increase across ALL sports in drug testing

“If we were allowed access there’s no reason why those sorts of tactics couldn’t be applied to those seeking to track performance-enhancing substances into events or facilities.”

UKAD have already joined forces with the National Crime Agency, whose dogs were used in at least one raid on a suspected drugs “laboratory”.

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Cycling, athletics and weightlifting are three of the sports where the canine detectives are likely to be used.

UKAD’s operations head Pat Myhill, leader of the organisation’s investigations unit which will carry out more than 6,000 drugs tests per year by 2022, believes the fight against the cheats can be won.

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He said: ““In the past when we’ve received some information about possible doping are choice has been pretty binary: do we test them some more or not.

“But now we have come up with 32 disruptive techniques that we can try. It could be as simple as knocking on their door or writing to them. But we have a range of options.”

The crisis that enveloped British cycling and Team Sky – despite vehement claims of innocence by riders including Sir Bradley Wiggins – have heightened scrutiny of the anti-drugs crusade in British sport.

And UKAD has responded with a vow to increase the number of drugs tests from 4,000 this year to 6,000 every year. A further 7,000 tests were contracted out.

WHAT THE SNIFFER DOGS DO

Police dogs are trained to detect specific smells out of the range of the human nose.

The dogs that UKAD will use have been taught to ferret out performance-enhancing drugs such as stimulants and steroids. They also can detect large quantities of cash – used to pay for the illegal drugs

Unlike Sweden’s anti-drug agency, UKAD will not have its own pack of sniffer hounds but use those working already for the National Crime Agency

At this stage, UKAD’s dogs would still be barred from the athlete’s village at a major games although that could change after the adoption of the new National Anti-Doping Policy being drawn up with the Government and due to be unveiled in September

Sniffer dogs have been used at many sports events over the years, including Euro 2016 – now we will be seeing a lot more of them in UK sport

And chief executive Nicole Sapstead added: “We feel we should be allowed unfettered access if we believe something may be going on.

“At the moment we can turn up and be told “on your bike” and we have no powers to compel them to let us in.

“But that is set to change when the government unveils its new policy in September. Those sports that take government funding must comply with our new code.”

After the information dump by the Russian-linked “Fancy Bears” website – believed by many to be working in liaison with the government in Moscow – Ukad also targeted an improvement in data handling and security.

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Pearce suggested the term “whistle-blower” for those who report suspected dopers was “unhelpful”. He added: “It’s a quite perjorative term.

“These people are reporting integrity issues but some of them are turned off by the term “whistle-blower”.

“If someone has the courage to stand up and report inappropriate activity we must give them credibility and support.”

Pearce also called on sponsors to consider allocating “a percentage” of their investment in sport to help aid the fight against the cheats, adding: “A little chunk going into the debate over anti-doping can lever up more activity.”

Extra funding will see UKAD staffing levels go up by 10 from current 60 employees.